Today I sat with a woman in the home for the destitute and dying. The room is beautiful - right next to Kali's temple, which I think I will go look at on Sunday. The ceiling is high and the stone feels cool on your feet. But that is all I can remember of the space, I was too focused on the people. I'll try to remember to pay attention tomorrow.

The female volunteers work with the women, most of whom were picked up right off the street and brought here to hopefully recover, but at the very least have a peaceful place to die where they are loved and taken care of. And while I have been having some difficulties with some of the religious philosophy of the organization (particularly regarding birth control), I can't help but love it. And love that we are given absolutely no instructions on how to take care of the women except: "Just love them. That's all you have to do. They maybe have never had it, so just love them."

Most of the women are frightfully thin. Bones jut out at all angles, and many of them have open sores and large protruding tumors, or ulcers, or I'm not sure what. They lie in cots side-by-side with their names (decorated with flower stickers) above their beds.

I sat and talked with one woman for at least a half an hour. I told her that I didn't speak Bengali, but she kept talking to me anyways. I think she was telling me about her life. At one point, I think she was showing that someone had hit her, and about a cut on her arm. I believe she told me about giving birth. I'm not sure. I just laughed when she laughed and cried when she cried. And then gave her a head massage.

The morning I spent at the school. The kids are beautiful and all call us "Auntie," and like to sit in our laps. I had a little bit of trouble with the structure of "school." From what I can tell, the foreigners are more of babysitters, as there is no curriculum or rules, and the kids pretty much do what they want. At one point I did determine to teach them subtraction and had them stand up and as they counted backwards they had to slowly sink to the ground until they were laying down. This was a huge success and I'm thinking they're going to learn subtraction if it's the last thing I do!

But it might be the last thing I do. I'm not sure I can go there everyday. It's a long bus ride out of Calcutta and as I'm sadly very prone to motion sickness (sad sad) I got pretty ill on the bus (I will write about transportation here later. It's kind of a very fast, intense game of chicken. And I don't think there are rules. There might be. I'll keep my eyes out for them).

I want to make a note about why I'm choosing to work while I'm here. It was actually a large reason that I came -well, there are many reasons, but this is one. And it actually starts in Morocco. I was there many many years ago, and during my stay I got terribly ill. We think now that it was strep throat. And during that time, far away from home, I remember laying in a bed as a woman sat by my side and laid a cool cloth on my forehead. Sometimes she would gently hum, but mostly she just sat there. And it was the most amazing thing in the world to me. And I thought to myself, here it is, this is what I want to do. This is what I want to be for people.

So I went to college and started out as a pre-med student (as so many of us do) and discovered that I hate chemisty and molecular biology more than ANYTHING in the world. Except mushrooms - I hate those too. And eventually became an anthropology major because I just love people.

About two years ago now, I came down with Mono for eight months, was cancer tested for over a year, was hospitalized for four days -and remembered very clearly what it was like to lose your health and how important it is to me that everyone has someone when they're in pain. You know?

Anyways, when I heard about this organization, that literally picks people who are dying up off the streets and gives them a place to be loved, cared for by doctors, fed, nursed - I knew I wanted to do that.

It's incredibly difficult and hard and sad and like everything else, I haven't even begun to process it. But will tell you my thoughts as I do.

In separate news. It's still hard to be here. The noise and pollution and poverty are overwhelming. But as are the good things. Which I guess, is the contradiction of India.

I didn't end up going fabric shopping with the French girl, Tephaine, but met two other French girls (the french and the japanese are everywhere here!) and followed them to see the Victoria Memorial - a HUGE, beautiful, gorgeous monument (looks a bit like the white house -but way more magnificent) dedicated to Queen Victoria and the British invastion of India. It was interesting to read the history, but I was a bit overwhelmed from lack of sleep and heat and think I will have to go back later to take it all in.

There was also a beautiful garden outside where all the couples go to make out. They all sit on benches and neck behind umbrellas. Which I guess is a big heads up if a guy ever approaches me carrying an umbrella and asking to go for a walk.

Also, I got my picture taken at least 18 times yesterday. And I was sweaty, hot and swollen. I didn't like it. Which is why I rejected all previous offers at famedom that came my way.

Also, I'm now incredibly exhausted and need to go find some food and then fall in to a deep coma-like sleep. At least until the call to Muslim call to prayer wakes me up at four in the morning. Followed by the Christian church bells vying for attention.

Wow, I did not say even half of what I intended. There is so so much. Thanks for all the comments and emails! I'll try to get some more time tomorrow to respond!